Foldable pocket kit for accessories



June 15, 1954 c. s. DAVIS FOLDABLE POCKET KIT 'FOR ACCESSORIES Filed March 14, 1951 INVENTOR CHARLES 6. DAVIS llll l lglllllllllllllll |l.||.\l l

A T TOR/V5) Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to foldable wallets or kits having stepped pocket openings, and more particularly relates to such kits in which overlying pockets are provided of transparent or translucent material.

Such wallets, especially when having accessories therein, are generally referred to as kits, and therefore are referred to herein in such manner. They are essential equipment to members of the Armed Forces, and valuable to other travelers, for carrying upon the person in convenient and readily available form such things as identification cards, small photographs, sewing and mending accessories, such as needles, scissors, thread, buttons, small toilet articles, and the like.

The invention comprises a kit of elongated flexible backing cover strip of foldable sections which, when folded, may be securely closed by the usual snap-fastener button, the backing cover strip having aligned longitudinally of its inner face a plurality of pocket sections in which 0pposite end sections are shorter than a central section, the length of the central pocket section defining the length of the folded kit, the pockets being closed at one longitudinal edge and open at the opposite edge in spaced parallel relation to the adjacent longitudinal edge of the back cover strip. Preferably there are two rows of relatively overlying pockets which-have their openings relatively stepped to provide facility of access, and in which a flexible textile flap is provided adjacent to the open edge of the pockets and removably overlying the openings thereof,

the material of the pockets being preferably of 5+ transparent or translucent material. The rows of pockets are spaced from one end of the cover strip, providing an end flap of suflicient length to fold over and enclose both planar faces of the central section when the kit is folded, and.

having the button fastener thereon for securing them in closed position.

An object of the invention is to provide a rug ed economical and simplified kit containerof compact structure which may be carried flat in a normal pocket of a suit or garment of the wearer, and to provide in the kit separate pockets readily accessible yet closable against inadvertent loss of the enclosed contents.

Another object is to provide a flexible kit of convenient flat form having pockets in which the contents of the pockets are visible and which access to pockets is facilitated by relatively stepping the opening of the pockets therein.

A preferred form in which the invention may be embodied is more fully set forth in the one example of structure described herein and as- Fig. 4 is a perspective of the invention, in

folded position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, partially broken away view of a portion of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, It: indicates an elongated backing cover strip of tough, foldable, flexible, wearresisting material, which is preferably also re asistant to penetration by moisture, and of sufiicient length and width to provide for a plurality of aligned pockets, and a foldable end flap.

The outer face of the cover strip may be designated l l and the inner face l2. Mounted longitudinally of the inner face 12 of the cover strip ID and aligned therewith, are a plurality of pockets of which there are preferably two rows of the pocket sections, one row overlying the other, and each row having three pocket sections aligned longitudinally of the strip, as indicated I311, I32), I30, and. Ma, Mb and I40, in the respective rows. The center pocket sections are longer than the pocket sections at the opposite ends thereof and said end pockets preferably are of substantially equal length relative to each other. One end of these rows of pockets is spaced. from an end of the back cover sheet in, providing an end flap l2a, the pockets preferabl extending in alignment from the end flap substantially to the opposite end of the cover strip as at l2b, so that the pocket strips and the said opposite end of the cover strip are coterminous with the adjacent end of the back cover strip, whereby a narrow transverse strip' Ella of the adjacent end of the back cover strip may be folded over the adjacent ends of the pocket strips and included in a single stitched seam' verse'stitchin |5a which also connect the pocket strips with the cover strip and define the length of the central pockets I31) and Mb, said stitching [50: also providing readily bendable transverse lines at the ends of the central pocket which serve as fold lines of the pocket strip, thus providing overlying relatively long central pocket sections 13?), Mb, and relatively shorter pocket sections at the opposite ends thereof indicated I311, Ma and [3c and I40, the end pockets being preferably of substantially equal length relatively.

One longitudinal edge of the pockets is closed and secured to the cover strip by a longitudinal line of stitching l6, and the opposite edge of each of the pockets has an opening indicated H and 18 in the respective rows, which'openings are spaced from and parallel to the opposite edge of the cover strip, the pocket edges of the openings I? and 18 being in stepped relation to facilitate access to the contents of the several overlying pockets. The edges of each of the rows of pockets at the opening thereof have longitudinal-reinforcing seams 19 the pocket material be; ing integrally folded upon itself and stitched at 25. Preferably the pockets are of flexible transparent material, or at least sufficiently translucent material so that contents of the pockets may be visible through the sheets of pocket material. Such material is readily available as a standardcommercial plastic product.

The overlying pockets are preferabl formed of an integral sheet of material longitudinally I folded uponitself' at the closed longitudinal edge of the pockets, the fold being offset from the center of the sheet whereby the edges of the openings of the pockets are" relatively offset or stepped, and providing a closed edge which is included within the stitching it to the back cover sheet.

Each of the opposite-longitudinal edges of the back cover strip I is provided along its entire length with a binder strip 2i and 2-2; which may conveniently be of the same type of material of which the pockets are formed. In order to avoid. exposed sharp tearable edges ofthe material-in these binder stripsZl and 22-, either on the inside or outside of thekit, the strip material-is retroverted inwardly upon itself at each of its opposite longitudinal edges sufliciently'to form parallel edge-fold 23, and leave. the central portion of the strip free of such folds. The central portion of the edging strips is bent on its longitudinal axis to provide a strip substantially U-shapedin transverse section which are mounted upon and enclose the opposite longitudinal" edges of the back cover sheet and overlying members at said edges; the stitching is being employed for the purpose at the bottom or closed edge of the pockets andthe stitching 2s binding the edging strip at the-opposite edge of the cover sheet.

At the edge of the back cover adjacent the openings of the pockets the binder strip 22 encloses one edge of a flexible penetrable textile stripof cloth which is preferably of the same length as the rows of pockets, the stitching 24 securing said edge within the binder strip. The width of the strip of cloth is sufficient to overlap the openings of the pockets and overlie a substantial portion of the pocketbodies, thus providing a closure flap for the openings of the pockets and also affording a padding for preventing faces of the pockets from chafing upon each other when the kit is folded. Obviously, the penetrability of the strip 25 permits it to beused for inserting therein needles, safety pins, jewelry pins and the like.

It is to be understood that the stitchings I6 and 24 extend the entire length of the binder strips 2| and 22, the stitching I6 simultaneously sewing within the folds of the binder strip 21 the closed bottom longitudinal retroverted edge of the pocket strips, and the stitching 24 including one edge of the textile cover flap 25.

Since the pocket sections at the opposite ends of the pocket strips, that is, pockets 13a, Ma and I30; I40, are of substantially the same length and are shorter in length than the central pocket sections l3?) and Nb, the length of the central pocket sections define the length of the kit when the kit is'folded-into form as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, when the shorter end pocket sections are folded at stitching lines [5a to overlie the longer central pocket sections 13?), 54b, the end pocket sections do not extend the full length of the center sections i312, 14b, and thereby the thickness of one layer of the pocketsis eliminated at each of the fold lines when the kit is folded, thus avoiding :bulging at the folds if the-pockets havea substantial quantity of contents therein. This arrangement of fold lines at opposite ends of' a,

longer central section, andv the provision of shorter pocket sections at the opposite ends thereof, makes a fold line 150 occur at the longitudinal'central portion of the end flap [2a whereby the' end flap [2a will fold around and enclose an end: portion of both opposite planar faces of the. folded kit and will fold around one end of the folded kit at thefold line 150. the end, flap 12a is free'of any overlying pocket sections, the thickness of the folded'kit is not substantially increased or bulged by the fold at the line I50.

Suitable means are provided for releasably locking the kit shut in folded form, and conveniently may be exemplified by conventional snap fasteners, the button beingffi intermediate the ends:

of the outerface H of the cover strip and the recessed snap member 27, being adjacent the end edge of the foldableend portion [2a.

While in thepresent instance three pockets are illustrated in each of the overlying rows, a single row' of pockets'may be employed if desired, or more or less pockets may be placed in each row. For example, the row of pockets I 4a, l lb, l lc may be stitched transversely at I517. to preserve the fold lines, and the row of pockets 13a, 13!), He may have the transversestitching eliminated intermediate' its ends to provide a single elongated pocket in which the usual elongated paper money may be carried in foldable flat form.

What I- claim: as new and patentable is:

1'.v A foldable accessory'kit comprising an elongated'foldable flexible back cover strip, a row of three. aligned flexible pocket sections mounted on the inner face of thecover strip, the central section having fold lines at its opposite ends dee fining the length of: the kit when folded, the pocket sections at the opposite ends of the central section being shorter in length than the central pocket section, the row of pocket sections being substantially coterminous with the cover strip at one end' and having the opposite end thereof spaced. from an adjacent end of the cover strip providing an end flap aligned with the pocket sections, said end flap having a fastener thereon and being free of overlying pocket sections; the pockets having a bottom closure connected at one longitudinal edgeof the back cover strip and the openings of the; pockets being adjacently spaced from and parallel with the opposite longitudinal edge of the cover strip, a flexible pene- But since trable textile flap connected to the inner face of the back cover strip at said opposite edge of the cover strip, said flexible penetrable flap being of a length substantially the same as the row of pockets and of a width suificient to overlap the openings of the pockets, and snap fastener means mounted on the outer face of the cover strip for releasable engagement by the fastener on the end flap for securing the strip at a folded position when the end pocket sections are folded to overlie the central section, the said end flap being of a length extending beyond the adjacent end pocket sufficiently to provide a portion which overlies the opposite planar faces of the center pocket when the kit is folded and said fasteners are interengaged whereby a fold line of the folded kit is intermediate the ends of said end flap.

2. A device of the character described having the elements of claim 1 and in which the central pocket section is of lesser transverse width than its length parallel to the elongated longitudinal edges of the cover strip and in which a binder strip encloses the opposite longitudinal edges of the back cover strip and the respective edges of the flexible textile flap and pockets which are connected therealong.

3. A device of the character described, having the elements of claim 1 and in which the central pocket is continuous between the fold lines at its opposite ends, and the pockets are of transparent material, and a, stitched binder strip of U-shaped cross sections encloses each opposite longitudinal edge of the back cover strip and the respective edges of the flexible textile flap and pockets connected therealong, said binder strip having its opposite edges retroverted inwardly upon itself.

4. A foldable accessory kit comprising an elongated foldable flexible back cover strip, a plurality of relatively overlying longitudinal rows of flexible pockets overlying the inner face of the cover strip and secured thereto at one longitudinal edge of said cover strip whereby the bottoms of the pockets are closed and the openings of the pockets are parallel to the opposite longitudinal edge of the cover strip, said pocket openings being relatively stepped and spaced from said opposite longitudinal edge, each row having a central pocket section and opposite end pocket sections, the end sections being shorter in length than the central pocket section, the opposite ends of the overlying central sections being secured to the back cover sheet by transverse stitching providing fold lines for the overlying rows of pockets of the kit, the rows of pockets being spaced from one end of the cover strip providing a flexible end flap longitudinally aligned with the pockets, a fastener member mounted on said end flap, said overlying rows of pockets being integral sheet material folded upon itself in overlying relation, the integral fold being secured to the back cover strip at the bottom closure of the pockets, and the openings of said rows of pockets being adjacently spaced in relatively stepped relation from the opposite edge of the back cover strip, the edges of the pockets at the openings thereof having an integral reinforced strip folded and secured upon itself, a flexible textile flap connected to said opposite edge of the back cover strip, said flexible textile flap being of a length substantially equal to the length of the rows of pockets and of a width sufficient to overlap the openings of the pockets, and fastener means on the cover strip engageable by the fastener member on the end flap for releasably securing the pocket sections and the cover strip in overlying folded relation, the end flap being of sufficient length whereby it may have a fold line intermediate its ends and may pass around one end of the folded kit and enclose an end portion of both opposite planar faces of the folded kit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 814,205 Hawes Mar. 6, 1906 1,521,897 Martin Jan. 6, 1925 1,669,064 Minetti May 8, 1928 1,679,101 Sternthal July 31, 1928 2,275,363 Guhne Mar. 3, 1942 2,532,517 Schwartzman et a1. Dec. 5, 1950 2,565,167 Bres Aug. 21, 1951 

